First Saskatchewan Chase! — Travis Farncombe

Published on June 10, 2021

After a long delay, up and away. Next stop Regina. Cutting it close, but potential a big day ahead in southern Saskatchewan!

Looking at boundaries setting up the environment for later today..

Flying over some weather west of Sault Ste Marie but blue skies up here

Working on target (since my timing is tight). Current thinking is to drop south from Regina on Hwy 6 toward Pangman, then head west on 13 through Omega. From there can reanalyze and continue south or west. At the moment I’m favoring a target a little further west or southwest of Horizon, for initiation around Rockglen or Willow Bunch… but that will be refined as I get moving! (Note: I’m nervous about cloud cover from this morning’s convection and getting the stabilization we’ll need, but determined to remain cautiously optimistic! Will be chasing safe and conservative today.

Distant updrafts to my south, likely the little cells by Brainerd MN

Flying over farmsteads on final approach… I love the Prairies!

Sitting near Horizon, SK, looking things over

This land is amazing. Storms initiating to my south, holding tight for now

Beefy wall loud forming on the Limerick #sktorm 4:15pm

The storms have congealed and I’m behind the lead cell… dropping south for tail end Charlie #sktorm 5:11pm

Cool outflow and awesome ⚡️bolts on Tail End Charlie by Verwood #skstorm 5:51pm

Outflow dominant but pretty. #skstorm north of Verwood 6:26pm

Awesome scene near Orminston #skstorm 6:55pm

Damage south of Orminston (can’t confirm, but suspect from today) #skNTP @ntp_reports

Travis Farncombe

I am the founder Highways & Hailstones. I live with my family in Toronto, Ontario - about 2000 miles from Oklahoma City and the heart of Tornado Alley. Every spring and summer, I travel down there, to the American Midwest, to witness the most awe-inspiring weather on the planet.

The first time I chased was ten years ago; I signed up as a guest with a storm chase tour company, and joined that group for a week on the plains. I saw my first tornado on that trip. It was a silhouette on a dark Kansas night, betrayed by strobes of lightning flickering in the distance. While the rest of the tour guides and group scanned the storm to the south, a lingering flash drew my glance to the north, and there, unmistakable, was a backlit cone. It was serendipity. I yelled cone tornado!, and a storm chaser was born.

After chasing for a few years as a guest with Silver Lining Tours, I gradually began to spread my wings and chase on my own, having learned enough from Roger Hill and other veterans to chase safely and responsibly. I became a guide with SLT in 2015. Now, I am a certified spotter and chase locally in Southern Ontario, as well as down in Tornado Alley. I am always meeting new people, always learning, and always humbled by the power of nature.

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